How To Write Your TV Procedural Pilot Script

Learn From An Executive Who Helped Reboot HAWAII FIVE-0, MAGNUM P.I., and MACGYVER

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

“Case-of-the-week” shows, also known as “procedurals”, are extremely popular with today’s networks. If you’re a fan of the WILL TRENT, LAW & ORDER, CSI, NCIS, or CHICAGO franchises, or the CW’s DC universe, then you’re a fan of procedurals. Even streamers have gotten in on the action, picking up Fox’s genre procedural LUCIFER after the broadcast network canceled the series. And as the streaming services launch their AVOD platforms procedurals are going to be in higher demand than ever in the coming years.

These shows feature a main central plot line every week that only lasts for that singular episode. While many of these shows have story threads that last the length of the season, the key element of any procedural is for a new viewer to be able to drop in on any episode and watch a story from beginning to end. 

The great thing about procedurals for writers is that they make for stronger writing samples in your portfolio and can work with many different genres to show off your writing chops. In this exclusive on-demand Stage 32 class, you’ll find out exactly how to write a great procedural pilot to either sell or help you get staffed in a writers’ room.

Showing you how great procedurals are done is accomplished TV Development Executive Chris Hazenbush. Chris has helped develop and sell pilots to ABC, CBS, and NBC, and most recently, was the Director of Development at AfterPortsmouth Productions, the company behind THIS IS US. Chris's latest project, THE NEVER GAME starring Justin Hartley, was recently greenlit for series at CBS and will premiere in 2023.

Chris previously worked on the development team for the reboots of HAWAII FIVE-0, MAGNUM P.I., and MACGYVER, which have amassed millions of viewers throughout their series’ runs.

Over four on-demand sessions, you’ll cover the crucial elements you need when crafting a procedural series and pilot script, the structure and act breaks needed, how to develop your characters’ season arcs within the format, and more.

By the end of this class, you’ll have developed your own procedural show to add to your writing portfolio by learning how these shows get made through the eyes of a top-notch development executive. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn from one of the people behind some of CBS and NBC’s biggest procedural series.